Willie Nelson had a great song about how much he enjoyed doing that. So as the county commissioners complete the delivery of the town services reports, there is that part of getting out there. However, there is an outcome that we have enjoyed that gives us more than we have given.

It has always amazed me over the last 10 years that when we show up to talk about the number of services and the amount of grants, loans and savings that the county has delivered to each of our 15 towns, it is always new information. Part of it comes from the fact that there are always new boards of selectmen but most of it comes from the fact that there seems to be a disconnect from the service and an understanding of from where it comes.

During this series of visits, which for me is the eighth or ninth time, it is déjà vu. “I had no idea that….,” the county does that…” “I thought we got that from the state……”

The one thing that we emphasized in these visits is that the only justification for the existence of regional (aka county) government is that it represents a contribution of something useful. Indeed, the mission of Barnstable County is to enhance the quality of life for all of the citizens. Our reward has been that in every town the boards of selectmen have said thank you, we didn’t realize what we were getting and in some cases: How can we find out if you are giving us as much as other towns are getting?

To address the last we have posted the reports on our website. It is my sincere hope that the people who have elected us will access that information and see for themselves what their regional government has delivered to their community. The argument that government is a net expense rather than a net benefit is certainly defeated by the presentation of the facts and the tangible evidence of valuable services described.

Not for nothing I came to public service with the idea that you needed to identify what served the greater good and do all you could to deliver it. The people of Cape Cod should appreciate the fact that all of the services delivered by the county come from the efforts of what I am proud to call a group of the most competent professionals with whom it has been my privilege to serve. The point is that good intentions point you in a direction but somebody has to have the skill and the work ethic to get you to the goal. That exists here in Barnstable County because of the quality of the staff that come to work every day with a passion and level of professional competence that guarantees it can happen.

I started this by saying that the visits got us more than we gave. What we found out is that in every town the leadership is committed to doing the same thing that the county wants. They all want to do their collective best. I came away from the visits with a sense of appreciation that I live in a place where all of the public leadership is devoted to making Cape Cod the best place that it can be.

So in the battle for hearts and minds the issue is how do we communicate, coordinate and collaborate to accomplish that? The problems that all of us are trying to solve of protecting the environment, our children and preparing for our future are all recognized. The next steps of how to solve them present a unity of the need but a difference of how to meet that need. So the challenge is to select the right course to follow.

I personally believe that the answers are known with regard to wastewater management, housing, transportation, economic development and health care. What is not known is how to get all of us to accept the responsibility to actually pay the price to deliver that. So I end this with an invitation to the reader to go to www.barnstablecounty.org and see what the county has done for you and your community and remind yourself what JFK suggested: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

So, back off the road, I'm glad to be home, but I appreciate what I found out.